Q: People like you are wrong when you say we need God to help us change our lives. I’ve been able to overcome some real problems in my life, and I didn’t need God to help me do it. — N.G.

A: Did you ever stop to ask yourself where you got the inner strength to overcome these problems? Yes, I realize you probably take credit for it, but in reality God made you, and he was the one who gave you the ability to do it. In other words, without God’s unseen help you would have been helpless.

Why, then, do you find it so hard to admit you need God, or to turn to him when you face something you don’t know how to handle (as you inevitably will)? There may be several reasons, but the basic reason can be summed up in one word: pride. Pride makes you want to take all the credit for the things you’ve been able to accomplish, and pride also makes you want to do everything on your own.

But pride can be a very dangerous thing, blinding us to our faults and cutting us off from others. Pride also can lead us into doing things that are wrong, because we think they’ll make us greater or more powerful. The Bible warns, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

Most of all, pride cuts us off from God. Don’t let this continue to be the case in your life. Instead, face honestly your need for Christ’s forgiveness, and turn to him for the new life you need. God loves you, and life’s greatest joy comes from knowing him and living for him. Jesus’ promise is for you: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).